


Shadow Play - Series One (4)

by lhigginns67



Category: Sarah Jane Adventures, Sarah Jane Smith (Big Finish Audio)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:00:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24053287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lhigginns67/pseuds/lhigginns67
Summary: This is just the beginning...





	1. One

Sarah Jane held her breath. Her eyes shut tight. Was Marvin going to beat her? Kill her? Was he-  
‘And what did he tell you?’  
She paused.   
Calm. His voice was...calm.   
Answer carefully, Sarah Jane thought. Answer...carefully.   
‘What did he say?’  
‘He...’  
Where did she start? Which words would decide her fate? So far, yes, Marvin was proving Mallory right.   
‘He said...they’re...’  
‘I’ll just return the call and ask him, shall I?’  
Sarah Jane paused.   
‘They’re coming.’  
Momentarily, Marvin let-  
‘Did he say anything about Ruby White?’  
Oh. She had forgotten all about that.   
‘No.’  
Pause.   
At last, Sarah Jane felt the overpowering grip of the man above her ease off.   
Bit by bit, she found the energy to sit up, trembling, as Marvin moved to the other end of the room.   
‘I’ve proved her right, haven’t I?’  
Sarah Jane glanced at the man.   
‘I didn’t want to have to do that,’ he continued. ‘No doubt it was at the pleasure of Bitch-Face and Clarence.’  
Marvin sighed.   
‘I wouldn’t kill you. My instincts would forbid it.’  
Was he sure about that?  
‘So, why’s Claudia been faking it, then?’  
Sarah Jane looked at him.   
‘Faking what?’  
Marvin glared at her.   
‘Sitting with Bitch-Face and Clarence, she is, laughing themselves silly at us. At your bloody gullibility.’  
‘What are you on-‘  
‘Was never shot,’ Marvin snapped. ‘Never went to hospital, did she?’  
‘But you saw her, Marvin, bleeding out on the grass. And then in the hospital bed.’  
Just where was this all coming from?   
‘There’s evidence that suggests otherwise. All for show, it was.’  
Sarah Jane looked at him.   
‘Laurie Cutter,’ he continued. ‘Bound to ring a few bells.’  
No. It didn’t.   
‘Well now,’ Marvin said, approaching the phone. ‘Let’s just see, eh?’  
Sarah Jane watched as he dialled.   
‘And ask about...ask about...’  
Marvin stopped, his eyes darting.   
‘About...’  
‘Are you all right?’  
He stumbled, feeling the wall for support. Sarah Jane climbed to her feet.   
‘Who was I going to call?’  
He looked around, stumbling again.   
‘Marvin, what’s wrong?’  
‘I don’t...’  
Marvin headed for the bed, and sat down.   
‘Ruby White. It’s-‘  
THUD!   
Sarah Jane approached Marvin, as he lay sprawled across the floor.   
‘Marvin? Marvin?’  
She rushed over to the phone. Sarah Jane paused. How did she know he wasn’t faking? Or that-  
‘Emergency, which service?’  
Sarah Jane glanced at the man.   
‘Ambulance, please.’


	2. Two

Sarah Jane stood in the hotel foyer, looking at the unconscious man, as two paramedics pushed him into the ambulance. She didn’t think Marvin was faking, but honesty hadn’t exactly been his strong point. Although, if Marvin hadn’t planned that kidnapping...  
‘Seems a bit sudden, doesn’t it?’  
Sarah Jane turned.   
‘I don’t know what happened, Mallory,’ she replied. ‘He just...’  
Mallory nodded.   
‘He said something about Claudia, though. I mean for having never met-‘  
‘What was it?’  
Sarah Jane paused. Where did she start?

‘Proof? From where? Or whom?’  
Mallory and Sarah Jane each sat on a bed.   
‘Someone called Laurie Cutter,’ Sarah Jane replied.   
‘I suppose he didn’t show you any of it?‘  
‘No.’  
Which did seem rather convenient, yes. It all felt quite convenient, at the moment.   
‘What about Clarence? Any more correspondence?’  
Sarah Jane glanced at the telephone.   
‘They’re coming. I don’t know who ‘they’ are.’  
Mallory stood up.   
‘Something to do with Ruby White, the mystery Marvin was ever so determined to get to the bottom of?’  
‘Do you know much about it, Mallory?’  
She shook her head, shrugging.   
‘No interest to me, frankly,’ she replied. ‘How about we go and see Claudia? Might put you at ease.’  
Sarah Jane looked at her.   
‘We’re not family, they won’t-‘  
Mallory smiled.  
‘You haven’t watched enough films, I see.’

Sarah Jane and Mallory sat alongside Claudia. Even through all of this, the last thing Sarah Jane would have wanted to do was use her journalistic skills for disingenuous purposes. Sister and cousin, that’s what they’d blagged their way in as. Would it be the same for seeing Marvin? As the monitor beeped, Sarah Jane watched the unconscious woman in the bed. When would Claudia wake up? Would she wake up?   
‘What do you think brought it on?’ Mallory asked.   
Good question. Though a little strange for Mallory to ask.   
‘Well, all this arguing between us couldn’t have been doing him any good. Stress from that, maybe?’  
Mallory nodded.   
‘I imagine Staton and Roberts would be in their element, seeing him in his current state.’  
The officers who kidnapped him - whatever happened to them?  
‘Shame their effort was in vain.’  
Sarah Jane paused.   
Mallory leaned in.   
‘Yes, Marvin is ill,’ she began. ‘Ruby and I have been draining him, since that second time he saved your life.’   
Sarah Jane looked at Mallory.   
‘Well, who wouldn’t be fascinated by all your adventures with the Doctor? I would.’  
Marvin was...right. He had been right.   
‘Ruby...White?’ asked Sarah Jane.   
‘You know her as Laurie Cutter.’  
Sarah Jane looked at Claudia.   
‘Of course she was never in on it,’ Mallory sniped. ‘Not that Marvin’s ever going to know.’  
Sarah Jane paused. They wouldn’t.   
‘No!’  
Mallory smirked.   
‘Watching your and Marvin’s drama has been entertaining,’ she said, every word oozing with delight. ‘But, do you know what’ll be the cherry on top?’  
They couldn’t. Oh no, they couldn’t.   
‘Oh, yes.’  
‘Mallory, he doesn’t-‘  
Mallory grabbed Sarah Jane’s arm, revealing a teleport on her wrist.   
‘Mallory-‘  
Blue light shrouded them both, and they vanished. 

To Be Continued...in the next series


End file.
